UHD gets an exclusive! Transfer should be markedly better than the rather mediocre Blu-Ray from years back also.
"I’m so pleased to share this new version of RUDY, now in its full and intended Director's Cut presentation. It's a different movie, but in a very good way! The 4K and Atmos upgrades also perfectly enhance the experience, making this the ideal gift for RUDY fans everywhere. Never give up!” - David Anspaugh, Director
4K ULTRA HD DISC
NEW: 127-minute Director’s Cut of the film
Also includes the original 114-minute Theatrical Cut of the film
Both versions of the film remastered in 4K resolution from the original camera negative and presented in 4K with Dolby Vision
Both versions also include all-new Dolby Atmos immersive audio mixes
4K picture and Atmos sound mix approved by director David Anspaugh
Also includes English 5.1 for both versions + 2-channel surround for the Theatrical Cut
Special Features:
NEW: Feature Commentary with Director David Anspaugh and Screenwriter Angelo Pizzo (Director’s Cut Only)
NEW: 5 Additional Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
BLU-RAY DISC
Theatrical Cut presented in High Definition
5.1 audio
Special Features:
Rudy: The Real Story Featurette
Production Featurette
First Down with Sean Astin
CAST AND CREW
Directed by: David Anspaugh
Produced By: Robert N. Fried, Cary Woods
Written By: Angelo Pizzo
Executive Producer: Lee R. Mayes
Cast: Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Lili Taylor, Robert Prosky
SPECS
Runtime: Director’s Cut Approx. 127 minutes / Theatrical Cut Approx. 114 minutes
Rating: PG for mild language / Unrated
4K Ultra HD Feature Picture: 4K Ultra HD: 2160p Ultra High Definition, 1.85:1
4K Ultra HD Feature Audio: Both Versions: English Dolby Atmos, English DTS-HD MA 5.1. Theatrical Version: English 2-Channel Surround
One of the great sports movies ever made, RUDY (114/127 mins., 1993, PG; Sony) reunited the production team from another genre classic – “Hoosiers” – in telling the real-life story of a young man who wants desperately to play football for Notre Dame, and makes up in heart and determination what he lacks in talent and academic prowess. Debuting this month on 4K, Sony’s “Rudy” not only looks spectacular, easily surpassing its previous Blu-Ray, but premieres on UHD a never-before-seen Director’s Cut restoring some 13 minutes of excised scenes the filmmakers had to remove in order to fulfill Tri-Star’s two-hour running time mandate.
Sean Astin is marvelous as Rudy Ruettiger in director David Anspaugh's 1993 film, which never hits a wrong note and feels authentic at every turn. Shot on location at Notre Dame and other Indiana locales, “Rudy” is as much about hard work and perseverance off the field as it is success on it. Therein, of course, lies the great tale of Rudy's story: after working his tail off to even get into N.D., he never played at all until the last play of his final game for the Irish, when he improbably sacked the opposing quarterback and was carried off the field by his teammates -- a feat that never happened before or since at the school.
The sensitive and moving script by Angelo Pizzo is marvelously acted by Astin, Ned Beatty as Rudy's father, Robert Prosky as a sympathetic priest, Jon Favreau as his college tutor, and especially Charles S. Dutton as a field manager at Notre Dame Stadium. Technically, the movie just feels right, complimented by Oliver Wood's cinematography and Jerry Goldsmith's perfectly nuanced score -- ranging from quiet, introspective moments to rousing dramatic flourishes. Even if you’re a humbug on the Fighting Irish itself, “Rudy” is an undeniably satisfying and inspirational film that has weathered the years splendidly.
Sony’s 2008 Blu-Ray was fine for its time but has not aged well. The immediate gains in Sony’s 4K UHD restoration (1.85, Dolby Atmos) with Dolby Vision HDR is a grain field so tight you can now tell the opening credits are “knitted” like numbers on an old football jersey. Colors and details are in similar abundance, making it easy to see what an accomplishment the movie’s climax was – shot during halftime of a real Notre Dame game with everyone but the student body unaware of what was happening! Wide shots of stunned on-lookers (no CGI here) are mixed with tighter game footage shot by NFL Films photographers, and all of it delivers a sense of reality matched by few other sports movies. On the audio end, a new Atmos (7.1 compatible) mix delivers a wider sound stage than the original 5.1 DTS MA track, which is also included here but seems a bit constrained by comparison.
Anspaugh and Pizzo were contractually bound to keep “Rudy” under two hours so several scenes had to go in order to reach its theatrical release version. Exclusive to the UHD is a new 127-minute Director’s Cut which restores several good character beats, most especially a scene in which Rudy’s Dad talks about the meaning of Notre Dame football and what it meant to Irish-Catholic immigrants, especially those who were still discriminated against in the early 20th century. This brief sequence establishes the cultural significance of the school and its football program beyond simply winning and losing, something absent from the theatrical version. Other “new” scenes involve additional moments for Robert Prosky but most revolve around Greta Lind as the girl Rudy meets at Notre Dame – she’s reduced to just a couple of scenes in the theatrical version but is restored here to what becomes a major supporting role in the film’s second half.
Many of the latter scenes may not be integral to the picture but they all tend to enrich what’s there without throwing off the movie’s pacing. Either way, fans should check out this version – the rare time a new cut has been available solely on UHD – before deciding if they want to move back to the theatrical cut, which is also included.
The UHD also premieres the movie’s first commentary track, a solid and highly informative discussion between David Anspaugh and Angelo Pizzo. The duo discuss the added scenes but mostly talk about the physical production of the film, working with Notre Dame, and most fascinatingly, the practical staging of the picture’s climax.
Sony has also thrown in the Blu-Ray presumably for its other, archival special features (a brief featurette on the actual Rudy, a vintage Making Of, and interview with Sean Astin) while a Digital HD copy rounds out a marvelous Steelbook package that utilizes the original theatrical poster art.
One of the most interesting things one can do is to show the director's cut to someone who was a fan of the movie, but not tell them about the changes. The reaction I got was priceless. As you said, Andy, those removed scenes gave the movie the extra "emotional impact" without seeming like it was padded out without purpose. There are the obvious scenes and then the subtle. The extended scene in the bar with Greta Lind proclaiming that she's the biggest Notre Dame fan to Vince Vaughn - and Rudy's reaction - kind of reflects back to when Rudy's laughed at as kid by his family for saying he's going to Notre Dame and playing football. It's that sentiment that just solidifies Rudy's resolve.
But the Greta Lind scenes that were added back into the second half were the revelation for me. By adding her back in, she's serves as almost a counterpoint to the Jon Favreau character. She's the nearby doubting Thomas (like Rudy's distant family) that slowly starts coming around. Of course, I was waiting for a shot of her reaction amongst the crowd as Rudy is carried off the field. It did not disappoint and gave her character the resolve that was missing in the theatrical version. This expansion of her role also fits into the when the announcer mentions that "Rudy was the subject for an article in the school newspaper." That line in the theatrical version seemed ubiquitous. But with Lind's role expanded out, the line has more meaning now, for me.
Well said Ed. There is a purpose to her scenes and it's great that they restored them. This is one of those rare Directors Cuts that enriches the film IMO.
